Posts written in December 2013

On August 1 2013, BT launched its sports TV offering, BT Sport, a flagship service broadcasting out of London’s Olympic Park. By paying vast sums of money to acquire the rights to a wide range of sports including Barclays Premier League football, Serie A football, Bundesliga football, Aviva Premiership Rugby, UFC, and MotoGP, and by poaching well-respected sports presenters like Jake Humphrey and Clare Balding, BT has shown that it is serious about rivaling Sky when it comes to sports broadcasting. Sky’s previous competitors, Setanta and ESPN, ultimately failed to… Read more

The Bank of England announced on 18th December 2013 that they are planning to change the UK’s paper £5 and £10 bank notes to plastic, polymer bank notes in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The Bank of England took to shopping centers nationwide to gauge public interest on the change to polymer notes. Out of the 13,000 people who participated in the consultation, 87% of respondents were in favor of the change, 6% opposed it and 7% were neutral. There have been a few issues raised by the public, such as… Read more

With the Festive Season just around the corner, MarketLine is proud to introduce a number of fantastic discounts across its industry reports. Budgets are tight, and whilst your company spending may be approaching its limit, the demand for quality market knowledge is as high as ever. That is why, until December 31st, our best-selling titles are on offer to you with up to 25% off. Industry Guides: Looking to expand your business into new countries or simply understand your current market? Explore and compare multiple markets across the globe with… Read more

Anti-government protests in Ukraine are intensifying as a tense standoff develops between protesters and riot police. Dissenters have been gathering in Kiev’s Independence Square since the Ukrainian government failed to sign a proposed free trade deal aimed at promoting greater integration with Western Europe in late November. Rumoured interference from Russia has caused many to question the country’s future direction and recent events in the capital’s main square suggest that many are not satisfied with what they see as the continued close links between President Viktor Yanukovych and Russian Premier… Read more

Apple’s purchase of Israeli technology company PrimeSense for $360 million is perhaps an indication of where-next the technology king is headed. Given that PrimeSense is a global pioneer in ‘gesture technologies’; seen in smart phones and gaming consoles, it may be more than just an indication. The Israeli company has previous success in this market as it provided some of the technology behind Microsoft’s hugely successful, Xbox, motion-sensing device; Kinect. Despite this Apple finds itself in slightly uncharted territory as it plays ‘catch up’ in the TV devices market. The… Read more

Fragrances and perfumes have now evolved into a mainstream business within the cosmetics and personal care industries. The global fragrance industry has experienced moderate growth over the period spanning 2008-2012 with a (CAGR) of 3.7%. According to MarketLine, this industry grew by 4.4% in 2012. Growth in the industry is driven by trends towards urbanization which can enable emerging nations to sustain economic growth, as populations move toward larger cities and take up non-agricultural work, a new class of consumers will contribute to growth; and also increased importance of personal… Read more

Renault, the French automotive manufacturer, has done well in recent years and has weathered the storm of the on-going recession period better than some of its US or Japanese counterparts, with good revenue growth in both 2010 and 2011 for the group. Despite a marginal drop in overall revenues in 2012, the company produced double digit revenue growth in 2010 and 2011, a sign that its business has continued to push new revenue streams even in periods of difficulty. Renault has been successful, not only in its traditional markets in… Read more

Zipcar, Inc. operates a car sharing network, providing self-service vehicles, conveniently located in reserved parking spaces, by the hour or by the day. The company offers its solutions to individuals, universities, businesses, and government agencies. It is present in North America and Europe. Zipcar’s way of doing business is particularly appealing to young city dwellers, who do not own their own cars, but walk, bike and use public transportation instead, most of the time. They usually like the cool cars that Zipcar provides, such as Mini Coopers, or Toyota Prius,… Read more

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is a relatively new and developing technology, with many boasts and ambitious long term goals, which threatens to completely change the way that products are manufactured. The 3D printer comes in a wide range of shapes and sizes designed to fulfil various different goals. Some are designed for in home manufacturing of fashion accessories and art designs, others with the rather loftier aims of building houses and printing human organs. Still in its infancy however, the industry faces many challenges before it can claim to… Read more